Thank You, Next
by jakesrachel
Summary: An old villain returns to Beacon Hills and it's nastier, bloodier and more evil than ever before. Can Alaia trust the Pack again in time to put a stop to this monster once and for all? Or is there just too much water under the bridge?


Two years had passed since Alaia last talked to the Pack. Their last conversation still burned in her memory like it happened only yesterday and the hurt is still present like a dagger in her chest. Alaia tried to forget. She can't forget.

It was easier now that most of the Pack were older and busy in their new professions. With Stiles in a different city, Lydia buried under piles and piles of paperwork, Scott saving people's pets and Malia... Well, Alaia wasn't sure what Malia's doing but as long as it keeps her away from her, she didn't care.

Yet, the others were a little more difficult to ignore. She shared several classes with the younger side of the Pack. She tries to distance herself as much as she can, seating herself in a desk that's furthest away from theirs as possible, but it didn't stop them from trying to communicate with her. Crumbled up notes would land on her desk or by her feet. They would try to aim for the desk that's closest to her but every time they tried, the seats were immediately filled.

But that wasn't the case this time. Alaia, with her books against her chest and her burgundy bag hanging off her shoulder, strolled into Economics class like any other late Wednesday morning and took her seat by the window. She placed her notebook and her textbook down onto her desk, tucked her bag under her seat and aligned her chosen stationary one fingered space between each other.

A mere few seconds later, more bodies piled into the classroom. A grumpy Coach being amongst them. Alaia laughed a little to herself at his demeanour. He was always her favourite educator.

" _Alright, alright_ ," Coach started, setting down his coffee mug. " _Shut it!_ "As Coach began the lesson, the classroom door sprung open and in came a very frazzled young man.

" _Well, it's nice of you to finally join us, Dunbar_ ," Coach's sarcasm met with his smile, clasping his hands together. " _Did you get lost?_ "

" _Sorry, Coach_!" Liam replied. His eyes wandered around to find an empty seat. There was one left. One right next to Alaia.

Alaia noticed the empty desk too. She bit her tongue before clearing her throat, returning to her notes. ' _Great_ ,' she thought.

" _Well, are you gonna stand there all day_?" Questioned the Coach, annoyance evident in his tone.

Liam swallowed hard.

" _Y-yes, sir,_ " He remained still before snapping out of it. A grin appeared on his face. " _I mean, no sir. No, I'm not_."

" _Wonderful_."

As Coach continued, the tension began to rise on the right side of the classroom. Exchanging looks with his best friend Mason, Liam didn't know how to act, Sure he spent a while trying to be seated next to her but he never thought about what to do after. He glanced over at her. Her face buried in her notes, long luscious locks cascading to cover her face. Liam sighed. A pang of guilt hit his chest like a gut punch.

Liam then looked over his shoulder and saw his girlfriend. She looked at him and smiled before turning back to the board. Liam turned to Alaia again. To his surprise, she was already looking back at him. His lips twitched upwards to give her a weak smile. He heard her sigh before picking up one of her neatly laid pens and extending her arm towards him.

Furrowing his eyebrows forward, Liam glanced at the pen and then at her. She nodded over to his desk where there was a plain notebook and nothing else. The realisation came to his face and gratefully took the pen off of her.

" _Thanks,_ " Liam whispered.

" _Break it and I'll choke you with wolfsbane,_ " Alaia replied, keeping her focus on the board and her notes. Regret immediately filled her. Not because of the words she chose but because she spoke.

" _I'll try not to_."

Alaia could hear the smile in his voice and mentally slapped herself. She took a risk and leaned back in her chair, slowly turning her gaze to him. She noticed a faint, small scar on his jawline. She kinda loved that scar. Whenever she was down or feeling insecure about her abilities to win, she would always compare herself to others. Liam would then show her that same scar to prove that he's still learning and is no better than she was.

A smile found its way onto her glossy lips as she remembered. The nostalgia brought back the tingly beautiful she would get because of him and thought, for a second, that maybe just talking in class wouldn't be so bad. She did miss him but then her eyes dropped to his neck and his attempt to hide that hideous hickey on his neck failed.

" _Slut,_ " Alaia spoke out loud. Gasps echoed through the room and Liam instantly looked up. That same guilt somehow grew ten times more evident as the pain in her eyes bellowed. He watched as realisation washed over her face and, as her jaw dropped, her eyes widened. " _Principal's office?_ " Alaia asked the Coach, who seemed just as shocked as everyone else.

" _Yeah_ ," Was all that the Coach could fathom.

Alaia embarrassingly took her things and left the classroom. How was she meant to talk to the Principal when the Principal was someone she wasn't talking to? Alaia huffed.

Alaia didn't know whether to be thankful or miserable that the Principal's office was near. She put her books in one chair and slid into another. Alaia remembered the last time she was sent here. She almost broke another student's face. She said her reasoning was because he called some girl fat and that he deserved it. But, a therapist reckons that Alaia was lashing out due to the death of Allison Argent. It became more clear that this was the case when she also yelled at the Vice Principal for giving Allison's locker away and found her computer in a toilet in one of the boy's bathrooms. She still feels like she could've done better than that.

Soon enough, Alaia got her act together and was never in trouble since. Until Travis Prescott decided to not come in and Liam Dunbar then had to sit where he did. Alaia heard the door unlock and when it opened, stood a very professional looking Lydia Martin.

" _Alaia Wilson,_ " Lydia announced, restricted anger present in her voice. Alaia bit her tongue and followed the Principal into the room.

The Office's appearance looked like it has been for the last ten years. Beige walls, beige carpet, beige curtains, wooden desk, wooden counters, several almost-dead plants scattered here and there, uncomfortable chairs etc.

The only thing that changes is the photographs in the picture frames. Lydia had her parents in one, her and Stiles in another, her and Allison in the next but in the last one stood a very silly picture of the Pack. Alaia was almost saddened at how happy she looked.

" _Now,_ " Lydia started, clasping her hands together and leaned on her desk. The dark colour of her chair makes her strawberry blonde hair that little bit brighter. " _Wanna tell me why you've been sent here?"_

Alaia sat there, contemplating. Should she talk to Lydia because she's the Principal? Or should she not say a word and potentially get into even more trouble due to stubbornness?

As if Lydia was somehow reading Alaia's mind, she told her, " _You're talking to the Principal._ "

"I accidentally called no one a slut out loud instead of in my head," Alaia finally spoke, after a few minutes of more contemplating.

" _You called no one a slut?_ " The Principal questioned, tilting her head a little in confusion. "How is it possible that you called no one a slut?" She added, emphasising on the 'no one'.

" _It was sort of indirect,_ " Alaia answered.

" _Indirect?_ "

" _Yes,_ " Alaia spoke quietly, bringing her hands to her hair and placing her focus on the bottom strands of her hair. Lydia's puzzled face urged Alaia to carry on. " _Look, Liam was forced to sit next to me, I tried to ignore him but then he didn't have a pen,_ " Alaia started to ramble. " _So I gave him one of mine and told him that if he broke it, I'll use wolfsbane to choke him but then I kinda looked at him whilst he was writing and saw this disgusting ugly hickey on his neck and it just kinda blurted itself out!_ " Alaia ended with a huff, slouching down in her chair and began to pick at her nails.

Once Lydia heard Liam's name, it all clicked. She was there for all the Liam/Alaia drama and remembered how hurt she was.

"S _o, you were calling him the slut? Or the person who gave it to him?_ " Lydia pondered, although she felt like she already knew the answer.

" _I don't know_ ," Alaia said. " _Maybe both? Actually, no. I called neither of them a slut because I didn't mean to say it_ ," She paused. " _Out loud_."

Lydia forced herself to swallow down a laugh, wetting her lips to hold back a smile. She had to remain the Principal, that's her role and the students need to see it that way. Regardless that some of them are in the same Pack which incidentally makes them her family. Besides, this is the most she has gotten out of Alaia in two years. So she has to act professional, even if it kills her and laughing with her students when they're supposed to be in trouble is the opposite of that. Or so she's heard. Lydia's still trying to figure this whole 'Principal' thing out.

" _Okay, well_ ," Lydia said, clearing her throat. She opened her desk drawer, drew out a red slip and began writing. "Detention. After school. This Friday." She told Alaia, standing up and handing it over to the fellow student.

" _Yes, Miss Martin,_ " Alaia replied, slipping the note into her bag.

" _Don't let it happen again_ ," Lydia crossed her arms and spoke in her sternest voice.

Alaia gave the Principal a small smile before heading out of the Office. But as she was walking back the way she came, Alaia felt odd. She paused. The hallway was eerily quiet. The lights on the ceiling down the opposite end of the hallway began to flicker out. Then the next pair. And the next pair. Until the only lights that remained were the one's Alaia stood under. Something wasn't right.

Alaia subtly reached into her boot and drew out her wand.

" _Lux,_ " She whispered, a light appearing at the tip of her wand.

Alaia began to take small steps into the hallway. She tried to listen out but she was one of the few members that didn't have the super hearing ability so if something was to come out of the shadows, she'd had to act fast.

There was still nothing but silence. She swallowed down her fears. Suddenly, there were footsteps. Faint and light but there they were. She tried to figure which direction they were coming from but they went away as fast as they came. Then silence fell again.

A piercing scream echoed the hallway. Alaia wasted no time and followed the sound but what she saw was definitely something she did not expect to see. A silhouette dropped what remains of the body of a student, blood dripping from its chin. It stared right at her. Alaia couldn't move. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. Fear gripped her body and held it hostage. The creature gave a sinister smile and waved. Within seconds, it flickered and disappeared and soon the lights returned.

The creature had gone but the remains were still there. There was barely anything left.

" _Alaia!_ "

She heard someone shout her name but she couldn't react. She couldn't scream. She couldn't cry. She just couldn't move.

" _She's here!_ " A second voice chimed.

" _Oh my god_ ," Lydia was the first to grab her. " _Alaia, are you okay?_ "

" _We heard someone scream and since you didn't come back to class, we thought-_ " Mason spoke frantically.

" _\- We thought something happened to you!_ " Hayden, Liam's girlfriend, finished.

" _Ali,_ " Lydia called. " _Ali, what's wrong? What is it?_ "

It wasn't until Liam noticed the body that the others had stopped pestering her. Hayden had to put her hand to her mouth to stifle the noises she was making. Lydia kept hold of Alaia after taking her wand and placed it on inside of her blazer.

" _I-I'll go call the sheriff,_ " Hayden broke the silence after finally getting control of herself. Liam and Mason were talking about removing the body when the bell rang and students began pilling out of the classroom. Screams, frightened voices and panicked murmurs echoed the halls.

" _Everyone back inside their classrooms,_ " Lydia, letting go of Alaia, tried to regain control of the students. "Now!" She turned back to the group. "I'll deal with this. Get her out of here!"

Before the boys could speak, Lydia went back to helping the teachers usher the students inside the classrooms. Liam hesitantly put his arm around Alaia's frame while Mason held the other side.

" _Did you see anything?_ " Mason whispered, him and Liam forcing her frozen body to move. Alaia nodded.

" _What did you see? Did you see who did that- that?_ " Neither of the boys could bring themselves to say the words, Mason looking more sickly than Liam.

" _It was Stiles_."

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Did you like this chapter?! I really hope you did! PLEASE show your support for the author by simply showing love in any which way you can. It really would be appreciated! Thank you for reading! Have a lovely day!

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